


The Parenting Zone

by TaraHarkon



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Angus Bluejeans, Baby Shower, Bullying, F/M, Family, IPRE team, Lup and Barry are Angus' parents, M/M, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Siblings, Team as Family, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2018-12-30 06:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12102321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: Lup and Barry are trying to figure out this parenting thing. It has to be easier than fighting the Hunger, right? And Taako and Kravitz were helping too. Really, everyone was helping. If it could be called helping. And anyway, Angus was already 11. It wasn't like they could screw up too badly now, right?





	1. The Schoolyard Bully

Angus’ hands were tight fists at his sides as he glared up at his slightly taller classmate. The other boy was a paladin, confident and sure of himself. And a righteous ass. He was going on and on about how many undead he was going to kill over the summer, how there was no such thing as a good undead, and Angus Bluejeans McDonald had just about had enough. He pulled out his wand and cast the first spell that came into his mind. A thunder wave shot out of his wand and the paladin was knocked backward. Then a second spell from Angus had the boy held down by grasping strands of arcane energy.

“A-Abra-ka-fuck-you.”

It didn’t sound as confident coming from him as it did from his Uncle Taako, that was for sure. But Angus glared down and he could see his foe cowering. So much for the infallible courage of paladins.

“If…if you say those things again. I’ll…I’ll…” He kept his wand leveled at the other boy’s face, trying to keep from crying in his anger. “Just don’t say it again. My parents aren’t evil. They’re not.”

Angus turned and released the spell as he walked away, leaving the paladin boy laying there in the dirt, confused and scared.

* * *

 

 Lup frowned slightly, reading through the note from the school. Angus had been in a fight with another student. There weren't many details in the note, but it did say one thing. Angus had thrown the first spell. Now, that in and of itself wasn't a bad thing. Lup couldn't even begin to count the number of times she'd thrown the first shot. However, there was one problem here. Which was why she had taken her son out into a field to practice spells and how to handle a fight.

“Thunderwave is a good choice in a pinch, but it’s an area of effect spell. Use something more focused next time. Only hit what you want to hit.”

Angus nodded slowly, noticing a shadow in his mother's eyes and choosing not to ask. He knew enough, knew about the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet and the choices she had made.

"What about magic missile instead?"

"Perfect. Let's practice."

* * *

 Magnus knocked on the door frame and then casually leaned against it.

“Hey there, Ango. Busy?”

Angus set down his textbook and smiled.

“Not really, Sir.”

“Uncle Magnus.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Uncle. Magnus.”

Angus laughed quietly.

“Yes, Uncle Magnus.”

“Your mother tells me you got in a fight.”

Angus’ shoulders slumped and he looked down.

“The other guy started it.”

“Did he?” Magnus walked in and grabbed a chair, spinning it around so he could face Angus with the chair backward. “Listen, Ango. I think you did the right thing. You can only take so much of that crap. But you also have to know when to swing first and when not to.”

Angus sighed deeply.

“But, Uncle Magnus, he’s always like that. Even though he knows my parents are liches and Uncle Krav is the Grim Reaper. He doesn’t stop.”

“That’s why I’m here to teach you how to fight with something other than your wand. Come on, Ango. You, me, and Killian have a date with the dojo. Today, we’re teaching you to throw a punch.”

 

* * *

Kravitz sighed and took another drink from his wine glass.

“Barry, why would you think this is your fault? No, really. Stop for a minute and we’ll think about this rationally. Have you ever done any necromancy in front of Angus?”

Barry paused, staring into the swirling red liquid in his own glass.

“Not since he was a baby? Unless you count rebuilding Lup’s body.”

“And other than passively being a lich, have you done anything to indicate to him that necromancy is acceptable?”

Kravitz watched Barry carefully, silently willing the man to stop and think about all of this.

“I told him stories. And he knows all about what me and Lup did. What if…”

Barry had that look again and Kravitz sighed, sliding the bottle of wine closer to the other man.

“Alright, I’ll spell this out plainly. Angus has never shown even the tiniest interest in necromancy beyond the purely theoretical. Believe me, I would know. He worries about both of you and I think that has a lot more to do with what happened than anything you may or may not have told him about your past as a necromancer.”

Barry set his glass down and leaned back in the chair.

"Either way, my son beat up a paladin... I'm gonna have to have a talk with him about that."

 

* * *

 

Taako threw the apron at Angus from across the room.

“Kitchen in 5, my man. It's time for some Taako-Taaquito bonding time.”

Angus pulled the apron on, tying it in the back with care. Then he looked down, surprised to see that it wasn’t his usual one that read ‘magical boy’ across the front. This was one of Taako’s from the old cooking show. Then he looked again. It wasn’t quite the same. The face wasn’t Taako’s and the text. Sizzle It Up with Taaquito. Angus had a grin from ear to ear as he followed Taako into the kitchen.

“Okay, my man. Today, you learn to make something I haven’t even shown your mom yet. So grab the ground beef and let’s get started.”

Angus was overjoyed to cook with Uncle Taako, especially as Taako began to play up the old showmanship. But somewhere along the way, it turned into story time.

“And I know you’re touchy about your folks, little dude, but you gotta remember that most liches aren’t like them. And yeah, that paladin guy in your class is an absolute asshole. He got what he deserved. But here, you juice that lime and I’ll tell you what _really_ happened in Wonderland, alright?”


	2. Welcome to the Parenting Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're going back to the beginning. Back to see how our story began. Welcome...to the Parenting Zone.

Lup really  _ really _ hadn’t expected this. She sat on a chair in Merle’s med bay and stared down at her stomach in wonder. Impossible. At least improbable. Then a new thought, a worse thought. What if they had to jump again? What if they had to jump again and she lost this….this… Might as well call it what it was. Miracle. She barely heard Merle explaining the basic things she would need to know. Vitamins, eat healthy, don’t assume your lich form. Oh shit. Would that have any effect on the… Having two liches be your… She couldn’t make her mind focus on the thought. Not because of Fisher, just because of the sheer incongruity of what was happening. Everyone had always said that this would never happen.

* * *

 

Barry wasn’t the first person she told. Hell, Barry wasn’t even the second one. Merle first, to confirm that she wasn’t dying of space plague. Which honestly, would have been a much more reasonable explanation, all things considered. Then Taako. Taako had to know. Taako had to be ready. Because if anything happened to her and Barry, she needed Taako to be ready. 

“I don’t know how, I just know that…”

“Well, when an elf and a human love each other very much…”

Taako had laughed. He’d been happy for her. Not to say that she wasn’t happy. Lup was ecstatic. And terrified. 

“Taako, if anything happens-“

“Don’t worry, Lulu. Nothing will. And…if it does, I’ll be there.”

* * *

 

“Barry?”

Barry looked up from his study of the waves streaming out of the Light of Creation.

“What? Oh, sorry, Lup.” He took his glasses off and cleaned them carefully while he spoke. “I was doing the last measurements before we separate this. I want to make sure I have the wards properly set.”

She sat down opposite him with the Light between them.

“Barry, I… We… We need to talk. It’s important.”

That jolted him upright.

“Is everything okay?”

She smiled at the man she loved with her whole heart and reached out to take his hand.

“We can’t… This has to work. This time. This plan. Hiding the Light. Barry, we can’t jump again. I don’t know if… I…” She took a breath. “Barry, I’m pregnant and I don’t know how or whether or not the baby would stay with us if we jump again and I don’t want to risk that.”

Barry jammed his glasses back onto his face and a smile lit up his face.

“You’re-? We’re-? Baby???”

It was only that the Light of Creation was on the table between them that kept him from sweeping her up in his arms in that moment. She nodded as he stood and they met halfway.

* * *

 

Taako looked down at the little bundle in his sister’s arms and grinned. There were tiny points on the child’s ears, but not much, not like theirs. And he had Barry’s hair. That wasn’t even a question. 

“So, you’re going to name him after his uncle, right Lup?”

Barry nearly choked, trying not to laugh, and Lup smiled at her brother.

“The world can’t handle two Taakos, babe. We both know it. No, we’re naming him…” She paused for a moment, looking down at the sleeping baby nestled against her. “Angus.”

“Angus. Angus Bluejeans.”

Taako said it slowly, then he smiled and silently promised himself that no matter what else happened, he would always be there for his family. For his sister, her nerd, and their magical boy.


	3. Knife Skills for Beginners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako is teaching Angus to use a knife. So is Magnus. This is where the similarities end.

“Alright, bubbeleh, first rule: always cut away from your body.” Taako grinned wryly. “Unless you want badass scars, little man.”  
Lup turned slowly, close to her brother’s face, and shook her head.  
“Taako, mmm-mmm.”  
“No?”  
“We’re teaching knife _safety_ , remember?”  
Angus giggled and positioned his fingers on the blade the way Taako was demonstrating.  
“Like this?”  
Taako moved Angus’ fingers slightly, showing him the difference.  
“That’ll give you more control, my dude. Lets you do the fancy shit.”  
One sliced pile of vegetables and a carefully practiced rocking machine later, Angus was standing on his step stool and carefully stirring a pot of stew.  
“This smells great. Doesn’t it, Mom?”  
Lup leaned in and took the spoon from his hand, taking a quick taste.  
“It tastes great too, Ango.” Then she held the spoon out for him. “A chef always tastes their food before they serve it. Right, bro bro?”  
Taako started to reach for the spoon and then stopped, shaking his head to clear it a little.  
“Y-yeah. That’s exactly right, my dude. Always...always make sure you seasoned it properly.”

* * *

  
  
Angus stretched as he walked into the dojo for his usual lesson with Magnus and Killian but was brought up short when he saw someone else standing there. Carey grinned at him, tossing a knife up and down in a fluid motion. Magnus threw his arms wide as Angus approached.  
“So, I heard you’re learning knife skills.”  
Angus paused and looked back and forth between the two of them.  
“Um... Yes, Uncle Magnus. But I really don’t think-”  
“Great! Come grab a training blade and we’ll see what you already know.”  
There were two possible ways to handle this. Explain that he’d been getting cooking lessons or just go with it. Then Carey put a practice blade in his hand and Angus didn’t have a choice any more. He yelped as Magnus came forward, his own practice knife in hand, and tried to get out of the way as quickly as he could.  
A few minutes later, Angus was sitting on the floor with the wooden knife laying a few feet away and several bruises rapidly forming. Magnus just stopped, frowning slightly, and held out his hand to help Angus back up.  
“I thought you were learning this already?”  
Angus shook his head slowly, trying to keep the ringing from getting worse.  
“Uncle Taako is teaching me kitchen knife skills. For cooking.”  
Magnus blinked a few times and then started to laugh. Then he tossed Angus a healing potion.  
“I didn't even think. Sorry, Ango. Drink that. Then we'll start from the basics.”  
“Maybe start with throwing, Magnus.” Carey nodded slowly. “That gives you an option if you run out of spell slots but can't move in close.”  
Angus nodded, drinking the potion and smiling with relief. An hour or so later, he was starting to even get the motion down to get the blade to hit the target instead of the handle.

* * *

 

Angus was falling asleep over a Caleb Cleveland novel again, curled up on the couch. He had this one memorized but he had still read the same sentence three or four times. Then he stirred slightly, feeling a blanket draped over him. He blinked and tried to focus on whatever was in front of him.  
“Sorry, buddy, your glasses are on the table. Didn't want you to roll over on them.”  
Angus pulled them back on and smiled sleepily.  
“Thanks, Dad.”  
Barry smiled back.  
“Think you can make it to your room?”  
“Yeah... sorry.”  
Barry reached out to ruffle Angus’ hair and then offered a hand up.  
“It's alright. You were tired. And from what I hear, you had a long day.”  
Angus nodded slowly, stumbling to his feet.  
“I made a stew with Mom and Uncle Taako and then Uncle Magnus beat me up.”  
Barry braced him and took the books from his hands.  
“I'll put these on your desk, okay?” Then he paused. “Did you say Magnus beat you up?”  
“Yeah... Training. Knife lesson. He said sorry.” He yawned and pointed at the book. “This one’s my favorite.”  
Barry shook his head a little at the abrupt change of topics.  
“Caleb Cleveland, right? What's this mystery about?”  
Angus described the story, staying awake just long enough for Barry to tuck him in.  
“Good night, Dad.”  
“Good night, Ango.”


	4. The Raddest Baby Shower Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew of the Starblaster gets together to celebrate. Taako outdoes himself in every direction. Merle is appreciated for once. Magnus makes a duck. Davenport is the best captain. Lucretia records events. Barry tries to relax. Lup has another best day ever.

Taako had been baking for the last three days straight. No one was quite convinced that this was healthy, but there was little they could do about it between his excitement and his loud declarations that elves didn’t sleep. Lup had cast a silence spell around the kitchen after the first twelve hours because she and Angus both needed to sleep or she was going to kill someone and she would prefer that her target not be Taako. Barry was wandering around the Starblaster with an absolutely idiotic grin on his face and a cup of coffee that he just kept refilling in a desperate effort to keep up with the elves in his life. He had spent the morning conjuring streamers and balloons to decorate with and most of the afternoon trying to figure out all of the things they were going to need for their child’s entire life.

* * *

 

Magnus had been working on this for at least several hours and now he was pretty sure that the first of his gifts for Barry and Lup was done. With a huge grin on his face, he hefted the wooden sign in his arms and walked outside and hung it on the side of the ship.

“What do you think, Cap'nport?"

Davenport looked up and paused.

“Magnus... Does that say ’Baby on Board?’”

Magnus grinned broadly and nodded.

“Yup!”

Davenport pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, then he sighed.

“Looks...great, Magnus. Great.”

“Good, because I’ve got more work to do. This is just step one!”

* * *

 

Lucretia had been humming to herself as she worked on this particular journal. It was interesting, just setting it up rather than filling every page with her efficient, practiced script. But this wasn’t for her. This was for Lup and Barry, so they would have a way to record everything that happened in the life of their child. Her other gift for the pair would take longer but would be a joy to produce. Assuming she could get the oil paints for it, of course. But the world below them looked more than capable of supplying something as simple as that. She paused for a moment, setting down her quill to stretch her hands. The biggest problem with doing a portrait for them, if she was being entirely honest, would be trying to pin Lup and Barry down for long enough to get a good sitting in. Although, after so long together, she could probably just do the whole thing from memory. Memory... She paused then and set aside her ink to grab a second book and her water colors. Angus would be the only one who had never seen that familiar purple sky with its two suns, never seen people flocking in the market square near the IPRE, would never see the royal beasts or the robots of the tiered city or the mountain cave where they'd found Fisher or any of it. And she could fix that.

* * *

 

Merle honestly didn’t know what sort of things people usually got for people having kids. It wasn’t like he had any. He tried to think back to his own childhood and gave up on that tack. It wasn’t like they would want a book of Pan stories or anything like that. Hell, they’d barely appreciated the things he’d made for them back on the beach. Then a thought came to him and he went into his room to start splitting and transplanting some of his herbs. Babies got sick, so why not supply them with some of what they’d need to keep that from happening more than it had to? And he would just write up something about how to care for all of them and what they were all used for. Maybe they would appreciate that.

* * *

 

Davenport walked through the city with a comfort he hadn’t had since their home world. This Faerun wasn’t all bad, if this was where they would end up staying. It had plenty of places for him to explore, for one, and was similar enough to home. He paused, examining the shops ahead and smiled as he saw what he wanted. A bell rang far over his head as he pushed the door open on the small book store. The shopkeep was a cheerful halfling woman who waved at him as he walked in.

“Let me know if you need help with anything."

Davenport stopped and looked around.

“Do you have books for children? I’m looking for something for a baby.”

“In the back. There’s a small selection, but they’re all enchanted against fluids and tearing.”

Davenport smiled at that.

“Thanks.”

  
About half an hour later, he left with a small assortment of books about old Elven stories, arcane magic, and stars. That would be perfect.

* * *

 

Lup preferred sleeping to trancing any day. There was a certain pleasure in the safety of being able to snuggle down, warm and cozy, and just sleep for hours. She particularly liked doing it with Barry’s arms around her. But that took hours, hours she did not have with a fussy newborn. So, she had grudgingly gone back to trancing for short bursts while Angus was asleep.

"Only for you...” she murmured, nuzzling the light fuzz of hair on top of his head.

Angus blinked up at her with wide eyes and she smiled. It would be awhile before he learned to do that back, she knew, but Lup figured if she smiled at him more, he might pick it up faster.

“Come on, hun, let’s go find your Daddy and introduce you to the concept of balloons. It’ll be fun.”

* * *

 

The rest of the team had already gathered when Lup walked in, holding Angus against her chest. Taako set a plate heaped high with cookies on the table, each one a different color.

“I hope you’re hungry, because there’s so much more where this came from.”

Lup grabbed a cookie and popped it into her mouth as she dropped into a chair. Magnus sat in another chair, a hastily wrapped package in his hands as he wiggled like an overeager puppy.

“So, when do we give Ango his presents?”

Barry came to sit next to Lup as she laughed. He reached for Angus and she glanced up and to the side for a moment, a little smile on her face, before she helped him settle their son in his arms.

“Remember, Bar, mind his head.”

“I remember, Lup. Isn't that right, Buddy?”

Then she turned to Magnus.

“Is everyone here?” With a quick glance, she saw that they were and nodded. “Let me just grab one thing and we can get started.”

She popped into the kitchen just as Taako appeared again with an entire sheet cake carefully decorated to have a map of the world they could see outside across it. Lup reached into a cabinet and pulled out two bottles, turning around in a fluid movement. Then she set the bottles on the table beside Taako’s creations.

“I picked these up at the Conservatory. Saving them for a special day.” She spoke as she worked a quick spell to pop the corks. “This is about as special as it's gonna get.”

As soon as Lup had finished, Magnus was on his feet. He thrust the package into her hands.

“This is only part of it. I already put part of it on the outside of the ship.”  
Barry mouthed the words “on the outside of the ship” slowly, staring at Magnus. Lup pulled the paper of the wrapped present and smiled at the carved duck inside. Magnus had outdone himself.

“Thanks, Maggie.”

Taako spun into the room with a pile of things in his arms just as Lucretia began to stand and they looked at each other for a moment.

“You go first, Luc. Save the best for last and all that.”

He set the bundles in a corner and went back into the kitchen after something else. Lucretia held out two notebooks. One was the silver and blue style she usually used and one was a bright red one with the IPRE logo emblazoned across the front.

“The blue one is already set up so you can keep a record of everything that happens in his life. Birthdays and firsts and everything. The second...well.”

Lup flipped it open to a random page about three quarters of the way through and gasped. The scene that was painted there was unmistakable. She would remember that whale bone spire for the rest of her life and unlife.

“How? You weren't even there?”

Lucretia smiled as Lup’s voice caught in her throats and gestured towards Taako.

“I asked Taako to describe it as well as he could.”

Lup set the book behind her and quickly moved to hug Lucretia. Barry picked the book up in his free hand and started flipping through as well. There was the sunrise at home, there was the IPRE building, there was the Starblaster on the beach, the whole team together in their uniforms and laughing.

“Lucretia, this is amazing.”

Davenport chuckled quietly.

“Dammit, Luc, how can any of us follow that?”

Merle sighed over exaggeratingly and stood.

“I'll go next.” For a moment, he vanished into his room. Then he came back with a tray of small plants. “It's not much, but this should be most of the medicinal plants you need to deal with a kid. I labeled the pots so you know what's what and what it does.”

“Thanks, Merle.” Lup took the tray, a wry grin on her face. “This is way better than the dead fish.”

Merle hrmphed and dropped back into his seat, quietly pleased. Then Davenport stood and held out a little stack of books.

“I know it’s not as impressive as what Lucretia put together but…”

Lup took the books carefully and passed them to Barry who smiled eagerly.

“Thanks, Cap’nport.”

“Dav, these are amazing.”

With all of those gifts handed over, there was only Taako left. He appeared from the kitchen once more with a large bowl.

“Lup, can I get a little help? Just enough to light the alcohol.”

For a long moment, everyone just stared while Lup shaped the tiny bit of flame to dance on top of the pudding.

“Taako, did you make a Candlenights pudding?”

“You better believe it.”

He set it on the table and moved to the stack of presents.

“Okay, sis, be ready to be amazed.”

He picked up the stack and started holding things out.

“First thing first, ear plugs for you. Self explanatory. Next up, clothes. Several outfits, all super rad and ultra fashionable. Also a bib that says ‘my uncle is awesome’. Again, self explanatory. Then we get some books. Alphabet, numbers, letters, junk like that. But all with food. All of them. A teeny wand. Can't start those lessons too early. Last but not least.” He reached into a tall bag and held out a bottle of vodka. “That's for you, Barold. Relax, my dude.”

Barry took the bottle and set it next to him, chuckling quietly despite his blush. Lup took the little bib and put it on Angus, making sure it was tied loosely.

“Thanks, Koko.”

For the rest of the day, they all stayed together laughing and talking and taking turns holding the baby. In the early evening, Lup was standing by the window, pointing at the land below them.

“See, Angus. We're going to live down there and we're all going to be together.”

Then she saw a bright flash of flame on the surface followed by darkness. Her grip on Angus tightened instinctively as she tried to figure out what was she was seeing. It looked like glass. Black glass.


	5. The Schoolyard Bully - Redux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armed with a whole lot of advice, a wand, and the ability to duck, Angus takes on the schoolyard bully.

Merle looked across the table at the boy who sat behind the giant stack of textbooks and sighed. Angus was less annoying that he had been. Mostly. Alright, he was a new kind of annoying now that he was trying to copy everyone in his extended and complicated family. But Merle had to admit, he was kind of impressed that the kid had the guts to stand up for what he believed in like he had at school. Facing down the end of the world with his family at his back had been one thing. Standing up to a bully alone was something completely else. 

“So about this kid you’re having trouble with at school.”

Angus set down the conjuration primer and looked up, his whole attention on Merle now. 

“What about him, Uncle Merle?”

“What do you know about him? Have you talked to him at all?”

“What? Talk to him?” Angus looked horrified at the thought. “But all he talks about is fighting and killing things he thinks are evil and how great his god is.”

Merle smiled a little. This was definitely a place for his skills.

“But do you know why? Why does this kid hate undead creatures so much that he won't allow any room for some to be good?”

“Because he's a bully?”

“Just try talking to him. Not everyone who looks like an enemy is really an enemy, kid. Go grab that chess set and I'll even tell you a story.”

Angus hesitated for the briefest moment.

“This one won't be about plants, right Uncle Merle?”

* * *

Angus took a deep breath and made sure he could reach his wand if he absolutely had to, but he also remembered everything everyone had said to him. But most importantly, he remembered the lessons he’d gotten from his mom and from Uncle Merle. Okay, and he also remembered when Uncle Magnus had told him to duck, just in case.

“Hey Kendall.” He spoke the greeting only a little uncertainly and held out his hand. “Sorry about last week. I lost my temper and I shouldn’t have done that.”

Kendall, the young paladin of Pelor, hesitated briefly and then reached out to shake Angus’ hand.

“It’s okay, I guess. It was actually kind of cool. The spell, I mean.” Kendall paused and nervously scratched the back of his neck. “Are your folks really...liches?”

“Yup. Remember the Day of the Unseen Invasion?”

Kendall shuddered.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“And the bright light that told the story?”

Kendall’s eyes went huge.

“Your parents are  _ those _ liches?”

Angus laughed at the look of surprise and respect on Kendall’s face and grabbed his arm. 

“Come on, let’s go to class and I’ll tell you all about it at lunch. Okay?”

* * *

Lup looked up as the door to the house was thrown open and Angus ran inside. He had a huge grin on his face and a black eye.

“Angus?”

He dropped his book-bag on the floor and slid into a chair at the table.

“I made a new friend at school today.”

For a long moment, Lup said nothing. She just set a plate of cookies in front of him.

“Did you...make friends more like Taako makes ‘friends’ or more like Magnus does?”

She gestured towards his eye and he laughed.

“More like Uncle Magnus. Kendall wanted to know how I got him so good with that thunderwave, so we sparred some. I didn’t get in trouble at all and he got me really good back a few times.”

Angus stuck a cookie in his mouth and Lup spun a chair around to sit opposite him, leaning against the back of the chair.

“So, no more fighting at school?”

“Kendall said he was sorry for saying the things that were bothering me, especially once I told him I wasn’t goofing about you and Dad being liches.” Angus grinned in a way that reminded Lup of Taako slightly more than was strictly comfortable. “I also reminded him about the story Fisher told the worlds.”

Lup grinned back and grabbed a cookie off the plate.

“Sounds like a good day then.”

“Yeah, it was. Can he come over sometime?”

Lup paused, cookie halfway to her mouth.

“I don’t see why not, but let me make sure your Dad knows when so he doesn’t panic and overreact.”

Angus reached for another cookie as the front door opened again.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Barry sighed and hung his old red robe by the door. “Kravitz wanted to talk about a bounty we collected yesterday and-” He paused then, looking back and forth between Lup and Angus. “Ango, buddy, what happened to your eye?”


	6. The Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's hard watching a world fall apart. It's harder knowing it's your fault. It's even harder when you know you did it for all the right reasons.

It was getting worse. The war on the surface was getting worse. The depression on board the Starblaster was getting worse. The only thing that was keeping them going was each other and the knowledge that they had saved this world from the Hunger. And Angus. The team walked around the Starblaster on eggshells, getting quieter and quieter. Except around Angus. It was like they were all, by some unspoken but universally acknowledged agreement, trying to shelter him from what their actions had caused.

The year came and the year went and now they were sure. The Hunger couldn't find them. They were safe. They were all safe for the first time in one hundred years.

* * *

 

Taako had just been expecting to say goodnight to Lup and then head back to his own room. He had been expecting to see her enjoying her familial bliss with her denim-clad nerd, even if the world was burning down around them. Sure, Lup was having a rough time with the shit the relics were causing, but why did it matter? They were all safe. Everyone else didn't matter. Fuck, she had love and family and safety and everything they'd always wanted. So why did anyone or anything outside this ship matter?

He hadn’t been expecting to walk into Lup’s room and find her pacing back and forth cursing under her breath. She stopped facing one of the windows on the side of the ship and began to sing in a quiet, shaky voice. The words were in Elvish, and Taako was surprised to recognize…something. The tune, maybe?  
She stumbled over the words then and cursed again.

“Lulu?”

She turned, startled that he was there.

“How long have you been…?”

“Not long. That song was familiar.”

He said it uncertainly and she nodded.

“From when we were kids, right? But I can’t remember all the words, Koko.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door.

“What’s got you thinking about that all of a sudden?”

Lup sat down hard on the bed and then flopped onto her back.

“Barry’s been singing for Angus and he absolutely loves it. So, I wanted to and I tried to remember and… Koko, how long has it been since someone sang to us?”

“What?”

She sat up fast, looking right at him with an expression that was hard to read, even for him.

“Normal people can remember the words to at least one lullaby, Taako. I can barely remember the tune, let alone the words.” She scrubbed at her face. “What if I can’t do this? What if I’m a terrible mother because I don’t remember what a mother is supposed to be like?”

“Lup, babe,” Taako went over and sat down, putting an arm around her shoulders. “You’re gonna crush parenthood. You know why?”

“Why?”

“Because you fucking care.”

She looked at him, surprised.

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter if you remember all the words, babe. He’s not gonna know. He doesn't even speak Common yet. You've got the tune, right? Make it up. You don’t have to be perfect. Just, you know, be you. He’s your kid. He’ll love you no matter what. We both know how much you and Barry love him.”

Lup leaned heavily against her brother, a smile on her face.

“Thanks, Koko.”

He grinned back.

“Any time, Lulu. And while we're in the land of emotional over sharing, how the fuck did you and Barold swing this in the first place? You never said.” He hesitated then, not wanting to push too hard. He could remember every single time he'd had to help Lup work through things when other people had made comments about her and he really didn't want to be the cause. At the same time, he was super curious. “Like, that had to be a doozy of a spell, right? He's a nerd, but I didn't think Barold was on that level. At least not with transmutation and...what... healing?”

Lup blushed slightly.

“We don't know.”

“Lulu...”

“No, seriously, Taako. We don't know. Big happy impossible surprise breaking all the basic rules of shit like biology.” Then she paused, staring at the desk in the corner of her room. “Oh fuck.”

“Put some dots together, babe?”

“The fucking Light of Creation.”

Taako fell backwards laughing.

“Oh my fuck, Lup! You and Barold... _with the Light in the room_?”

She grabbed a pillow and whacked her brother with it, laughing a moment later when he grabbed one of his own.

* * *

Another city. _Another city_. Lup knew what Taako had said, she knew what Barry would say. It wasn't her fault. She hadn't meant for this to happen. She also knew what she had to do. She made sure Angus was asleep and kissed his forehead. Then she left a note for her team. Back Soon. And she would be. It wouldn't take long to hide the gauntlet better, to put it somewhere where people could look but never find it. Maybe this way, she could bury some of her guilt with the gauntlet and go home without feeling like all that blood was on her hands.

* * *

“Angus, buddy, it's alright.”

Barry was balancing the baby on one arm as he walked into the kitchen that morning. He couldn't smell anything cooking but it was also early. Taako was probably still in bed. Angus was fussing, had been fussing before Barry had woken up. As Barry reached for a bottle in the fantasy refrigerator, it struck him just how odd all of this was. Where the hell was Lup? There were no lights on in their workshop, she hadn't been in their room. Not in the kitchen. There was something though. He adjusted Angus on his hip slightly and walked to the counter and the note that sat there. Written in Lup’s hand were two words and it was signed with a kiss. Back Soon. For a long moment, Barry just stood there, uncertain and feeling a cold chill of fear going down his spine. She must have gone to get the gauntlet. Then Angus threw his bottle on the floor and Barry shook his head.

“Sorry, buddy. All done?”

He scooped up the empty bottle and set it in the stack to wash. He would have to do that later. He had to tell Taako. Unless Taako already knew? Unless Taako had gone with her. Angus started to squirm again and Barry set him down on the floor. The little boy pulled himself up to standing on one of the chairs and looked around, taking in every detail. Then he looked towards the hallway and pointed just as Barry heard footsteps.

“Mama?

“Maybe, buddy. Wanna go see?”

It wasn't Lup. Taako sleepily wandered into the kitchen with his blanket wrapped around him. Angus reached towards him, smiling.

“Taa!”

“Yeah, that's right, my dude. It's cha’boy, Uncle Taako...” Taako muttered it sleepily, reaching for the coffee pot. “S’up, nerd.”

Barry held the note out with a sigh.

“Lup went after the gauntlet.”

Taako examined the note and then handed it back to Barry.

“I should’ve seen this coming... dammit.”

He set his coffee down and reached to pick up Angus out of habit. “Should we go after her? I mean, you said this plan means those things have to be out there, right?”

Barry rubbed at the back of his head for a moment, thinking. Then he went to get some of the applesauce Angus liked for breakfast.

“She knows that. It was more or less her plan, after all. Best case, she comes home today and we all laugh about this. Worst case, she comes home later and my next project is figuring out revivification. I mean, we're still liches so it's not like anything can really...” Barry set the bowl of applesauce on the table and Taako sat with Angus on his lap. “So we just hold down the fort until she comes home, I guess.”

Taako sighed a little, clearly unhappy with this. But he accepted it and looked down at his nephew and his early efforts with using a spoon.

“Angus, my dude, I love you and all, but if you get that in my hair...”


	7. Bad Days

Everyone has bad days sometimes. For some people, there are worse days, days when the Day of Story and Song comes back, days when a century of running and a decade of hiding rear their ugly head, days when rewritten memories or solitary, spectral imprisonment are all you can comprehend. For Angus, there are nightmares. 

Darkness and static warred with things he didn’t understand and shapes moving over him. Columns of blackness infused with ripples of colored light smashed into the ground and he was small, so very small. And he was alone. He was alone and his wand was broken and they had left him. Everyone was gone and he couldn’t remember who was supposed to be there or why he was alone and there was nothing but darkness. A rhinoceros charged towards him and Angus screamed. There was no umbra staff to save him. Not in his nightmares.

But Lup was there. When he woke up screaming and there were hot tears on his small face, she was already there. Angus wrapped his arms around his mom and cried, trying to explain with words something that was so hard to explain. Lup kissed his forehead and held him tight. She didn’t need words. She was there. He wasn’t alone.

* * *

Breakfast was pancakes with chocolate chips  _ and _ bananas. Angus smiled brightly and smothered his in syrup, watching Uncle Taako flip more onto plates. His parents weren’t up yet, which was strange, but he supposed they were allowed to sleep in sometimes. Then he heard his dad call from down the hall.

“Hey Taako? I need a hand.”

Taako didn’t even hesitate. He moved the frying pan off the burner and ran down the hall so fast that Angus was pretty sure for a minute there he’d blinked most of the way. Angus pushed his breakfast away and slid off the chair, following at a more uncertain pace.

“Dad?”

“It’s okay, buddy. Finish your pancakes, alright?”

But Angus knew well enough to know when he was being lied to. He was the world’s greatest detective after all. So he kept silently padding down the hallway. He could see into his parents’ room now, see his Dad standing looking worried and Uncle Taako trying to talk to his Mom. She was just standing there, looking lost, scared even.

“Mom?”

But Lup didn’t answer. She was lost in her own darkness, trying to remember that she was free, trying to remember that she had hands and feet and legs and arms and eyes that she could open and see the world instead of her prison. Barry looked between Lup and Angus for a moment and made a snap decision. Taako would help Lup. He closed the door and led Angus back to the kitchen, one hand on his shoulder.

“Is Mom okay?”

Barry went and poured two cups of coffee and set one aside for Lup before sitting down with Angus.

“That’s...complicated, Ango. You know how sometimes you have nightmares about the Hunger?”

Angus nodded.

“Well, buddy, it’s like that. But sometimes your Mom’s nightmares happen when she’s awake and they’re not about the Hunger.”

Angus thought about what he’d seen, what he knew and nodded.

“They’re about being trapped in the umbra staff, right Dad?”

“Got it in one.”

Barry reached over and tousled Angus’ hair, skewing his cap. Angus just grinned.

“I  _ am _ a detective, Dad.” Then he looked down at his pancakes. “But Mom will be okay, right? When the nightmare is over?”

“She will. And Taako’s helping.”

Angus pulled his breakfast towards him again, considering this. He started to cut the pancakes into pieces and then looked up again.

“Hey Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Does...” Angus paused, mulling his words. “Does everybody else from the Bureau and the IPRE have nightmares too? Do you and Uncle Taako?”

Barry took a look sip from his coffee before he answered.

“I can’t speak for everybody but...yeah, buddy. The Hunger was rough. Then Lucretia separated us all and... Well, things went differently for everybody.”

Angus nodded and they both looked up when they heard movement from down the hall. Taako was coming back to the kitchen and Lup was with him. She looked exhausted but she smiled at them. Barry met her in the door with her coffee in his hand.

“Just how you like it, babe. I even remembered the cinnamon.”

* * *

“Hey Uncle Magnus?”

Magnus was sitting on the floor, puppies all around him, when Angus walked into the dog school. A few of the puppies came over to investigate the boy detective but most stayed with Magnus. The man looked up though, grinning.

“Hey there, Ango! How’s it going? How are your folks?”

“They’re good.” Angus sat down in front of Magnus, looking up at him. “Uncle Magnus, can I ask serious question?”

Magnus looked at him oddly.

“Sure, buddy. What’s up?”

“Are you okay?”

Magnus stopped, one hand hovering just above a puppy he was reaching out to.

“What?”

“Are you okay?”

Angus said it again, with a little more urgency in his tone. Magnus scooped up the little ball of fluff he’d been reaching for and pulled it into his lap.

“Yeah, Ango. I’m doing pretty alright. Why?”

Angus was silent a moment and then the whole story came pouring out of him about the nightmares and how scared he’d been when he saw his Mom like that and what his Dad had explained and how he’d come right here after he was  _ sure _ everyone at home was okay. Magnus didn’t even wait for the boy detective to finish, he just scooped him up and hugged him tight.

“Hey Ango? Thanks, buddy. You’re a pretty great little guy.”


	8. It Was Never Meant to be This Way

Lup wasn't back. It had been weeks and Lup wasn't back. If she had even so much as sent a message spell, Barry would be alright, but as it was he was barely holding it together. The rest of the crew was picking up the slack, trying to help him as much as they could. Magnus or Lucretia were the most regular babysitters for little Angus while Taako and Barry searched. Sometimes, when they were going to cities or towns, or safer places like that, they would even take Angus with them. Today was one of those days, a day when Taako had decided they should check the city of Neverwinter after he tracked unusually powerful levels of arcane energy there.

Barry adjusted the sling he was using to carry Angus to make sure the wiggling toddler was comfortable.

“Alright, Taako, can you triangulate the signal from here or should we split up and keep looking?”

Taako paused to examine the feelings of the spells orbiting close around his wand.

“I can do it from here. I'll track, you start talking to people while we go?”

Barry nodded, offering Angus another slice of apple.

“Come on, Buddy. Let's go find your Mom.”

* * *

They didn't find her. They didn't find her and Angus was crying. Barry was lost, so lost. Taako dimly remembered that Barry and Angus needed to sleep, but he wanted to press on. They had felt so close to...something. With a little shake of his head, Taako put a hand on Barry’s shoulder.

“Come on, my man, we've gotta get Ango to bed.”

Barry sighed and took one last look out at the city before nodding.

“You're right. Let's go. Sorry, buddy.”

The last was directed at the overtired toddler starting to cry himself to sleep against Barry’s chest.

* * *

Taako and Barry seemed like the walking dead some days, even with Barry in his body and Taako trancing whenever he had a free moment to try to keep himself alert. So when Magnus found Taako in the kitchen humming quietly and frosting a cake, he was more than a little surprised.

“Taako? Is-?”

He didn't want to verbalize the question, didn't want to be told no, didn't want to hurt Taako. But the wizard turned, spatula still in hand.

“It's not every day my nephew turns one, my dude, and that means that we all get to watch Ango smear cake all over his face.”

Barry was at the table with Angus, trying to coax him into eating the sliced fruit he usually had for breakfast.

“No! Goooosh. No fruit. Goooosh.”

Barry looked up, confused.

“Taako, what's a goosh?”

With a sad smile, Taako went to the fridge and pulled out Angus’ milk cup and added some chocolate powder and cinnamon.

“The good shit. That's how- that's how Lup caught herself from swearing in front of him.”

Taako set the cup on the table and ruffled Angus’ hair.

“Eat up, bubuleh, or you won't get cake later. I'll eat this whole thing by myself.”

* * *

As promised, Angus smeared cake all over himself, laughing the entire time. Taako had grinned like an idiot, leaning against a wall. The whole crew was there for that dinner, coming together like they were glad of something to be happy about. Magnus had proudly set a carving down on the table, not a duck for once.

“The Starblaster,” he explained. “For Angus to play with.”’

It wasn't like that first day when they had celebrated so excitedly, when they had heaped gifts on the small family. But each of them in turn did produce something small. Toys mostly. Davenport had dug out one of his own IPRE jackets and done some careful magical modifications to it to make it fit Angus properly.

“And I think it should grow with him, but you may want to have a look at the spell diagram, Taako. You're the transmutation specialist, after all.”

“Yeah, totally, Cap’nport, I'll give it a once over.” Then Taako grinned. “I think it’ll look great with the outfit I whipped up for him.”

With a flourish, Taako produced a tiny red t-shirt with the IPRE logo on the front and a pair of bluejeans just like Barry’s. Magnus laughed and reached for the shirt.

“Oh man! It’s like he’s a tiny member of the crew now. He can be backup defender and he’ll disarm attackers with his cuteness.”

Within minutes, they had Angus changed and he was tottering about in his new clothes. With a big smile on his face, he showed off his new jacket to everyone, pointing at it and at their jackets and robes. He really was just like all of them now. Barry just wished Lup could’ve been there to see it. Well, soon, hopefully. Soon.

* * *

Barry set Angus down to play in his fenced in area of the deck of the Starblaster. Magnus had made the fencing when they'd realized Angus was learning to crawl faster than they'd expected and had no fear of falling off the side of the ship. He immediately went to his toy Starblaster, making whooshing noises as he grabbed it. Barry laughed a little but then he went back to the table he'd had set up. There had to be a pattern. There had to be somewhere they hadn't looked. Triangulate between the last glassings, maybe? And look for unusually strong arcane signals around that area. It was the best idea he had. It was the only idea he had left.

He had been standing there for hours, calculations and spell diagrams filling the margins of his map, and Barry was beginning to nod off. His head was in his hands, leaning against the table.

“How’s it going?”

Barry looked up, startled, and smiled just a little at Taako, a sad smile.

“Oh sorry, I-” Barry shook his head a little, trying to wake up completely,

“Sorry, so, um, anyway, there’s a… there's a dungeon out beyond the Felicity Wilds? It's a… subterranean… demonic keep… thing. There’s a bunch of arcane energy coming off of it. I was gonna check it out tonight, if you wanna come with.”

Taako leaned in to look the map over, nodding.

“Yeah, where were- where were- remind me, how far is that in relation to the last glassing?”

Barry tapped the map near one of the black circles and traced the lines he’d sketched there.

“Um, I’ve triangulated it here.“

Again, Taako nodded and Barry could see the exhaustion worn into Taako’s face as plainly as it was into his own.

“Yeah, it seems like a good a place as any. Do you want to do the usual: I’ll go down and start casting around, see if I can pick up anything, and then- you start talking to folks?”

“Yep. That’s uh, I mean it hasn’t worked so far, but… it’s gotta work one of these times.” Barry scrubbed at his face for a moment. “I’ll talk to Magnus about babysitting Ango while we’re looking and...” Then he stopped, taking a shaky breath. “Taako, what if she’s just gone?”

“Who?”

Barry’s head snapped up at the question, surprise registering on his face for an instant.

“Ta- Taako? Taako, I’m…”

“What if who’s gone?”

Taako was staring at him in confusion now, not understanding, not remembering. Barry leaned forward, scrubbing at his face with one hand while he tried to force his way back up out of the fog that was settling into his mind. He tried to focus on something, anything. The static was filling his mind and drowning out the crying. Who was crying? It wasn’t him.

“What are we…? Oh, god, Lup… Taako, I’m- I can’t remember her face, Taako. Taako, where-”

“Whose face?”

Taako was starting to get angry now. He really didn’t remember. _Lup_. Barry had to keep her name in his mind, had to force himself to keep remember. Even as he felt the static settling into his mind, he fought back. He would not lose her a second time.

“Is this Fisher?” Barry shouted it, hoping someone, anyone would hear him, stop this. Then he remembered. He remembered Lucretia singing static that one night, only he hadn't heard static. He’d remembered. He looked up at Taako, eyes frantic and threw his arms wide. “Taako, k- kill me! Right now! I’ll- I’ll remember if I’m a lich, I can- please, Taako, just kill me! It’ll- I’ll be okay! I can’t forget, I’m, I’m, begging you, please, Taako! Please!”

Taako had tears on his face as he raised his wand. He didn’t remember and it hurt. He didn’t remember. He didn’t. A spell blasted out of his wand and slammed into Barry’s chest. It wasn’t until that moment, as Barry fell backwards over the railing of the Starblaster, that he hoped that Taako would remember enough to take care of Angus for them.

* * *

Lucretia couldn’t find Barry. Worse, Taako had his back against the side of the ship and his wand out like he’d cast something. Where was Barry? Dammit, if she found Lup and couldn’t find Barry… Then Lucretia heard the crying and froze. She hadn’t planned for this. She had been going to leave Angus with Barry. Or with Taako, if she absolutely had to. But Taako was a mess and Barry was gone. She looked down as Angus pulled himself up to standing with the little fence around his play area and Lucretia could feel hot tears on her cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Angus. I’m so sorry.”

She would have to extend the redactions, find Angus a place he would be safe. Could she keep him with her and still look for the relics? She took another look down at the one year old in his bright red IPRE tshirt and little jeans and shook her head. No, she couldn't risk the last piece of Lup and Barry she had left. She couldn't drag him all over Faerûn while she searched. He would need a home.


	9. The Beach Episode

“Angus! It's time to go!”

The boy detective took one last moment to look at himself in the mirror, grinning at his brand new swim trunks, before grabbing the towel off the bed and running out to catch up with the rest of his family. Taako held a picnic basket on his arm and was gesturing with a pair of sunglasses in his hand as he spoke.

“You better believe I'm making a new surfboard when we get there. Even if it's too late for the dawn patrol.”

Lup rolled her eyes and picked up her own bag for the beach, a towel and a book sticking up out of it.

“Whatever you say, my bro.” Then she turned towards the hallway down to her and Barry’s bedroom.

“Bar, are you ready to go?”

Angus giggled as his father appeared in his own swim trunks and a striped sleeveless shirt, with streaks of sunblock potion still showing bright white on his face.

“Yeah, sorry. I'm good. Is Kravitz here?”

They all heard the familiar sound like fabric ripping and Taako grinned.

“Nice dramatic timing, Krav.”

Kravitz smiled and let his scythe vanish from his grip.

“I'm nothing if not a master of the dramatic.”

His tone was light but he looked slightly uncomfortable in his own swimwear, as black as the rest of his wardrobe with silver trim around the waist. But Taako just looped his arm in Kravitz’s and tugged him towards the door. Angus hugged his towel against his chest, following his family as they left the wing of Merle’s mansion they were staying in for the week and headed out to the beach.

* * *

Barry and Lup headed straight for the water, laughing like teenagers. Kravitz was carefully setting up an umbrella and a beach chair where he could keep an eye on things, and Taako was as good as his word, reshaping a board that Merle had left for him into a flame-kissed copy of his original surfboard from that one glorious year on the beach. At first, none of them noticed that Angus was staying away from the water because he was running around looking at things. There were tide pools to explore and rocks to climb and sand castles to build, but soon he was standing and staring into the vast expanse of the sea, looking uncertain and watching his parents as they splashed. Barry was the first one to notice and with one final splash that left Lup laughing, he went to go see if Angus was alright.

“Having fun, buddy?”

Angus nodded slightly.

“I built a sandcastle but Mookie jumped on it.” Then he paused and looked at the sea again. “Is...is it hard?”

“Is what hard?”

Barry watched as Angus looked down and kicked at the waves a little.

“Swimming.”

Barry looked surprised for half a second and then grinned.

“Not so hard. But you know, I didn't know how to swim for a long time and I was a lot older than you when I learned from your Uncle Taako. So I bet you'll learn way faster than I did.”

Barry put a hand on Angus’ shoulder and gently pushed him towards the water. Angus looked up and then smiled, walking towards the water.

* * *

Taako’s surfboard stood propped up against a tree while he checked on the seafood bake he had going on the shore. Kravitz was laughing at something Taako had said while he poured out drinks. The sun was setting over the horizon and Lup had set up a few torches to keep the party going after dark. It wasn’t until then that Barry and Angus finally came back from the sea, soaking wet and laughing. Angus grabbed his towel and quickly dried his hair before putting his glasses back on.

“Can we swim again tomorrow?”


	10. Little Rabbit

Angus stayed close to his father’s side as they walked through the streets of Rockport. They were there to see the unveiling of the newest, fastest train out of Rockport designed by Lucas Miller and a group of his brightest students. The whole way there, father and son had chatted animatedly about magical theory and the sorts of things you could accomplish by mixing magic with science. Barry stretched, his hands behind his head as he walked.  
“You know, buddy, I bet if you asked, Lucas would show you the engine.”  
“Do you think so, Dad?”  
“I know so.”  
Angus hugged his journal tighter to his chest, optimism bubbling up as he got more and more excited for this trip. They were getting closer now and a crowd of people from all over had assembled. Angus reached up to hold onto his cap and ran, trying to find a good spot to stand and watch the train. He wanted to make sure he would see Lucas. Suddenly, a rough hand shoved him and Angus pitched forward, falling hard on the cobbles. He could hear voices laughing and he scrambled to try to keep hold of his journal.  
“Watch where you’re going, little rabbit.”  
Angus froze. He had heard those kinds of sour tones on the word before, but never directed at him, never accompanied by laughter.  
“Excuse you?”  
Barry stepped in between Angus and the laughing man, his expression dark and his wand in his hand. Angus pulled himself to his feet and crammed his cap down on his head once more. Part of him wanted to reach for his own wand, but he also didn’t want to cause a scene, didn’t want anyone paying any more attention to him than they already were.  
“Dad, it’s-”  
“It’s not okay, Buddy.”  
The human man looked down at Barry, crossing his arms over his chest.  
“What of it, little man?”  
Angus grabbed Barry by the arm, trying to pull him back.  
“Dad, don’t.”  
“You owe my son an apology.”  
The man was laughing now and Angus didn’t want to be here any more. Barry stood there calmly, waiting.  
“I’m not apologizing to anyone, rabbit-fucker.”  
Barry’s grip on his wand tightened and the air around him seemed to ripple, thickening almost like a miasma of darkness.  
“Angus,” Barry’s voice was tightly controlled. “Wait over there for a minute, alright?”  
The moment Angus was a few feet away, Barry’s full attention was back on the man in front of him. Sure, this guy was a good six inches over Barry and built like a barn, but Barry Bluejeans had faced down things this man couldn’t even begin to fathom. He reached out into the air, calling his scythe from the ether. When Barry spoke again, it was different. No one here would recognize it, but Taako and the others would have immediately. They knew this voice well from their encounters with Barry as a lich.  
“You’re going to regret that.”

* * *

“How was your day out?”  
Lup asked it as she set a plate in front of Angus, fully expecting to hear excited chatter about Lucas and his trains. Instead, Angus looked over at Barry with awe on his face.  
“Dad almost killed a guy. It was awesome.”  
Barry blushed slightly and tried to mask it by reaching for a roll. Lup raised an eyebrow.  
“Barold...”  
“I didn't hurt anyone, Lup, promise. And if I had, he would've deserved it.”  
Angus nodded eagerly and reached for a roll of his own from the basket on the table.  
“He ran the second Dad went all spooky Reaper on him.”  
Lup set down a plate in front of Barry and then turned on him, hands on her hips.  
“Barry. Barry Bluejeans, who I love with my whole heart, what the _fuck_?”  
Barry looked down for a moment.  
“Babe, he... Look, I know there are rules and all, but Kravitz will understand. Hell, Kravitz would've done the same thing if he'd heard what this guy was saying.”  
Lup’s expression changed then and she dropped into her chair.  
“Alright, tell me what happened.”  
Barry took a deep breath.  
“He tripped Ango. Called him... I won't repeat that. I stepped in, told him to quit it and apologize. Then he said some things about you and I lost my head a little.”  
Lup’s eyes narrowed.  
“Is that so?” Then she smiled and leaned forward. “Hey Bar, where can I find this guy?”  
Barry just shook his head and tossed her a roll instead of answering.


	11. Memory is a Funny Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while and I'm sorry. Apparently what I needed to get this chapter out was bronchitis and not being able to leave the house. It's a bit disjointed, but it's also covering most of the actual timeline of the series in a fairly rapid way. I hope you like it despite the choppiness.

Angus had strange memories. Memories that seemed to shift and stir and crackle too much to be held in the mind of a boy so small. A line of a song, words of a language he didn’t speak, faces he couldn’t make out, and static. The static was pervasive, it haunted his dreams and constantly reminded him of the one big mystery in his young life: his parents. It wasn’t until someone handed him a Caleb Cleveland novel, though, that his scattered mind focused on one thing. Detectives could solve mysteries no matter how big the case and no matter how small the detective. If he was a detective like Caleb Cleveland, then he could put the clues together and finally know where he belonged.

* * *

 

The train car was quiet, though there were a few passengers. The one that kept catching Taako’s attention was a small boy sitting alone. He was dressed neatly, fancily even, with a pair of glasses perched on his nose and a book in his hands. Taako grinned.  _ Nerd alert. _ The thought flicked through his mind and his grin widened. Then the boy looked up and something tugged at Taako, something he couldn’t quite place, couldn’t quite remember. But he could see the slight points of the boy’s ears. Something about this bothered him, seeing this little boy alone. He pushed those feelings off though, he had better things to do. A job to do. It wasn’t like he liked kids anyway.

* * *

 

Angus had a headache. He'd been thinking too hard, tracking too many records that didn't exist. And the feeling was so familiar. Taako. Magnus. Merle. The feeling was as familiar as their names and he didn't know why. He needed to find them again. Needed to find Taako again. And he didn't know why. Angus leaned over his notes, trying to force his mind to read past the static and the words that his mind wouldn't hold. That was when he heard a voice behind him, tender and concerned.

“You've made it further than most people do. I shouldn't be surprised, I suppose.”

He turned to see a tall woman, elegant and confident. She was smiling at him and holding a white staff in one hand.

“Ma’am? Are you the one behind all of this?”

She smiled at him and nodded.

“I'm here to offer you a job, Angus, and the answers to your questions.”

He hadn't even thought about it. He held out his hand to her.

“Deal.” Then he hesitated. “Is...Um... Ma’am, are Taako and Magnus and Merle...?”

The woman had smiled.

“They all work for me. You can call me the Director, Angus. Now come on, and we’ll go make everything clear.”

And it had cleared up a lot. The Voidfish ichor had brought so many things from the world into sharp relief, solved so many of the mysteries he'd never been able to solve. But not everything. The key to finding out who he was didn't seem to be at the bottom of a glass of Voidfish ichor.

* * *

 

Angus didn’t much care for Candlenights. Sure, the presents were nice and he liked the decorations, but it was hard to get excited about a holiday that was about bringing families together when he didn’t really have one. He would see the other children with their parents and it just hammered home once again the fact that he didn’t have any. So he sat on the floor by his Candlenights bush and looked at the small pile of presents. There weren't many at all. But he held a macaron in one hand and smiled. Maybe things were better this year. He popped the cookie into his mouth, savoring the flavor as he reached for a small present wrapped in silver and blue. It was the size and shape of a book and Angus had a pretty solid feeling that he knew who it was from too. Carefully he undid the wrapping and found himself looking down not at a detective novel like he'd thought, but at a book of elven folklore and stories. He reached for his glass of milk and smiled, flipping the book open to the first page.

“A long time ago, Corellon Larethian created the elven people...”

* * *

 

They were dead. Angus clapped his hand over his small mouth and stared at the stone of farspeech his still clung to, eyes wide.

“D-D-Director!”

His family was gone. Again. Just like when his Grandpa died. Just like when his parents had... when his parents had... His mind skipped sideways just like it always had. He didn't know what had happened to them. If they were dead, if they had abandoned him, if they were just gone. And now these three men who he looked up to so much were gone too. 

“Angus, what happened?”

But the little boy couldn’t get the words out beyond the tears. He’d gotten them killed. He’d gotten his family killed.

* * *

 

Three letters. Three letters burned into the wall and a ruined plate of cookies. Angus didn't care about his cookies though. He cared about the dizzying buzz in his mind as he stared at the three letters burned there. It didn't mean anything. L-U-P. It didn't mean anything and it tore through his mind leaving static in its wake. He could see those letters, could see the shock on Taako’s face, and couldn't form any conclusions from it. His mind slipped off of it like water off the back of a duck and he couldn't focus past that.

“Sir?”

Taako shook his head, as though trying to clear it. Then he let a casual grin cross his face.

“Come on, let’s go before we get in trouble for that.”

* * *

 

Angus hesitated, not sure if he wanted to ask the questions that had been bothering him since Candlenights. Since he’d first read the book of stories that had been left for him.

“Sir? Do.... You speak Elvish right?”

Taako raised an eyebrow.

“Detected that real good, boy wonder. I’m a fucking Elf and I speak Elvish.”

Angus blushed brightly and looked down, his hands tight fists of nervousness at his sides.

“Can you tell me what a word means, Sir?”

Taako watched the boy for a moment.

“Yeah, sure, bubbeleh. Shoot.”

And Angus very carefully said the single word that had been humming through his mind with its soft syllables and gentle sound. Taako’s eyebrows shot up and he grinned.

“Looks like you solved your little mystery. Your mom’s the Elf.”

“What...what makes you say that, Sir?”

“Because that's basically elven babytalk. It means...about the same as a human baby saying ‘mama.’”

Angus broke out into a huge smile. It  _ was _ a clue. A real clue. The first one he'd had in a long time. He hugged Taako tightly.

“Thank you, Sir!”

* * *

 

Now, he was standing in the Director’s office with Merle, Taako, and this strange man named Barry who kept looking at him oddly. He had drank the voidfish water just like before, but this time it wasn't big things that slotted themselves into place and shook out the static. It was little things. Mama. The half-remembered word  _ was _ Mama, just like Taako had said. Then more and more poured into his mind. Strange words that had no meaning took their true shape, colors and pictures blended back together as strange childhood memories stitched themselves into a sensible whole. Angus took his hand away from the Voidfish’s tank and stared in wonder.

“You’re...you’re...”

Barry raised his hands.

“Slow down there, buddy. I know you're smart, but you really don't want to remember too fast.”

Angus took a step towards him, his mind burning as synapses fired in ways they hadn't in a long time. 

“No, I can do it. I can... It's not all that much, but I remember it now.” then the little boy grinned shakily at Taako. “Told you I'd solve the mystery, Sir.”

Then he threw his arms around Barry and the man, his father, caught him. And that's how they were when Davenport entered the room.


	12. Coming Home

Lucretia stood near a window, staring out at Faerun far below them. 

“Lup… I’m… I’m sorry.”

Lup set down her coffee and looked over.

“You already apologized, and I told you, I get why you did it. Even if you were wrong.”

Lucretia sighed and came back to the table, sitting where she had left her tea.

“I apologized for all of that. But… I meant. For hiding Angus from the entire team for so long.”

Lup closed her eyes for a moment, taking a breath.

“Honestly, Luc, you couldn’t find me or Barry, Taako was a mess, Merle is… Merle, Davenport was a gnomish pocket monster, and you were running the bureau. Magnus was really the only choice, and even then… From what he’s told me, I’m glad he didn’t have Angus with him.” For a moment, Lup was silent. Then she looked at Lucretia. “I could thank you. Sure, yes, he should have been with all of us, with his family, but he wasn’t on the streets either. He wasn’t being bounced from home to home hoping that maybe  _ someday _ he’d find a place where he could stay for more than a little while and be safe. And for that, thank you.”

Lucretia started to reach across the table and stopped, her eyes wide. Neither of the twins had ever said much about their time before the IPRE, though most of the team had guessed it hadn’t been the best. Davenport had obliquely mentioned something after one of the cycles early on where Lup had died and Taako had lived. Something about Taako pulling further into himself and almost turning into a feral creature. Lucretia let a small smile show and leaned the rest of the way forward to reach for Lup’s hand briefly. She didn’t know what to say, but she hoped that gesture would express what she meant. Then Lucretia’s eyes widened again with sudden memory.

“Storage. The things from the Starblaster. Come on, Lup.”

Most people would have questioned the jumble of words, but the IPRE team had never been most people. Lup stood without hesitation and followed Lucretia on her headlong and exceedingly undignified sprint through the halls of the Bureau. Lucretia was practically laughing as she caught herself at the door and unlocked it with a spell. The door slid open and Lucretia gestured for Lup to proceed her. There were boxes everywhere, some placed haphazardly but each one carefully labeled in Lucretia’s precise hand. She went to one such box and opened it. Lup paused for a moment, realizing the box read “Angus Bluejeans” on the side.

“Oh shit, Lucretia. You...”

“Saved everything. Every last thing I could take off the Starblaster is in here. I wanted to save it for all of you.”

Lucretia pulled out a red jacket and offered it to Lup.

“You weren't there but...”

Lup looked the jacket over and stopped, fingers tracing the letters “A. Bluejeans” sewn into it above the IPRE patch.

“Fuck, Luc. What can I even say to this?” She looked into the box and saw the books, the toys, the clothes. Everything they had gotten for Angus carefully organized and saved. Then she hugged Lucretia tightly. “Thank you.”

Lucretia returned the hug and then reached for a specific book from so long before, the book full of her watercolor illustrations of the worlds they had seen and the things they had done.

“I know he knows the story, thanks to Fisher. But...”

Lup nodded and took the book. Then she stopped and stared down at the jacket in her hands again.

“I’ve never given my son a birthday present.”

The words were quiet, not meant for Lucretia, just a quiet, sad realization that was out of Lup’s mouth before she really thought about it. Her fingers tightened in the fabric and then she looked up at Lucretia with a grin on her face.

“Come on, we’ve gotta go get Taako. I need to plan the most baller birthday party in the multiverse.”


	13. Sometimes, a Family is Seven Birds and a Half Elf Detective

Lucretia's grip on the Bulwark Staff tightened as Davenport led her Reclaimers into the room. No... not her Reclaimers. Not anymore. She could see that in their eyes. They knew...maybe not the whole truth, but something. And they didn't trust her anymore. And...ah. Barry. Barry was here. She looked back and forth between Taako and Barry, at the space between them where Angus walked with one hand in Barry's much larger hand and the other holding Taako's hand. It had always been easy to see Lup and Barry in Angus, but now? Now, it was almost painful. No, not almost. Lucretia watched the way that Barry kept glancing down at Angus, an uncertain smile on his face, nervousness in his eyes. Gods, she could almost see him a decade ago when he was first holding his newborn son in his arms and he'd been so afraid that he would do something wrong. She heard footsteps running towards them, heard Barry begging her to tell the boys what had happened.   
  
"You owe them that much, Lucretia."  
  
Through it, she kept channeling power, she kept up her spells. She had to do this, for all of them. This was for them, didn't they see that? But it was hard to remember her reasons when she looked down at the way Angus clutched Barry and Taako's hands like he was afraid they were going to be torn away from him.   
  
"Lucretia, what have you done?"  
  
Davenport. It was Davenport's voice that nearly broke her spirit, her resolve. But then she saw Magnus and her heart leaped. He was alive. After everything, the little brother of her heart had lived. And she looked down then, her mouth and throat working without her bidding. She told them the story from the beginning, told everything. She watched their faces and she wasn't the slightest surprised when Taako raised the Umbra Staff to point it at her. Of course. Of course he would be furious.  
  
"You fucking took everything from me!"

What the hell could she even say to that? Nothing. Because she had. She had done exactly that. But she didn’t have time to explain, not now, not yet. Not with the Hunger looming over them. She tried, the words coming out of her fast. The plan. The barrier. Taako, his eyes full of pain. The only thing holding him together was the little boy standing next to him, the last piece of his sister that he had left. And that was when the Hunger arrived in truth.

* * *

Angus McDonald. No, that wasn't right. Angus  _ Bluejeans _ could see the Hunger. He could see the darkness shot through with colors. He could hear the desperate fighting outside the dome he currently stood in with the others, with his family. And when the tendril of the Hunger dropped, he pulled out his wand and stood next to his dad and his uncle, ready to fight for this world. Creatures made of darkness shot through with color crashed out of the tendril. For a while, they held their own. Then Angus was slammed across the room by a giant hand and he crashed into a barricade they’d set up. His father turned and started running towards him, Uncle Taako was thrown by the shade of a rhinoceros, Magnus was in the thick of things, Merle was flying overhead on his broom, and in the chaos of the fight, the Umbra Staff ended up at Angus’ feet. He grabbed it, the Umbra Staff practically leaping into his hand. The handle was warm, welcoming.

“Uncle Taako! Can I use this?”

Taako coughed, trying to get to his feet.  
“Fuck! Fine! Sure!”

Angus raised the Umbra Staff, pointing at the rhinoceros. He considered his options but before he’d settled on a spell, flames burst out of the Umbra Staff. 

“I...I didn’t cast that!”

The rhinoceros practically disintegrated as it skidded to a halt. And Angus stared at the Umbra Staff in his hands and then back up at Uncle Taako.

“I know.”

“No, you don’t understand. I...didn’t cast that spell.”

Angus looked once more at the Umbra Staff and then threw it back to his Uncle. Taako held it in two hands for a moment and then...

* * *

Lup was screaming. She could feel the pain around her, could hear the fighting. She was trying to claw her way through the black curtains of her prison, desperately trying to find a way to get to her family. Taako, Barry, Angus, the whole team. They  _ needed _ her now. Then she felt a new hand close on the handle of the Umbra Staff and her awareness locked down. Angus. Her son was in danger and now Lup had a chance to act. She took her fury, her fears, her desperation, and she flung it all out as a single fireball far beyond anything Angus could cast. There. If Taako didn’t get the hint now...

* * *

Taako brought the Umbra Staff down on his knee and it snapped in half. For a moment, it seemed like time stopped and then there was an explosion. Taako was blown off his feet and the whole room filled with fire and smoke and light and the Hunger tendril was gone, evaporated. Barry looked up with wonder on his face and laughed as Lup’s spectral form took shape in the air. She laughed, looking at her brother.

“You’re dating the Grim Reaper?!”

Angus had never smiled so big as he did then. 

* * *

**Sometime Later**

Taako unceremoniously shoved Barry away from the oven, checking on the contents himself.

“For the last time, Barold, if I wanted you to do literally anything other than watch this, I would tell you.”

Barry just chuckled and leaned against the table.

“Yeah, I know, Taako.”

A puppy came running through, Mavis and Mookie following hot on its heels, Magnus running behind them. 

“Has Lup checked in yet?”

Taako turned over his shoulder to ask the question as he set the turkey on the counter.

“Yeah, she thinks she can keep Ango guessing for another half an hour.” He shook his head a little, smiling. “She also said, and this is a quote, that the next time one of us gets it into our heads to try and surprise Angus, that I should just kill her because convincing the Raven Queen to let me revivify her again would be easier than trying to keep a secret from him.”

Taako snorted with laughter, doubling over.

“I fucking dare you to tell Krav that.”

“Tell me what?” Kravitz walked into the kitchen, picking up a tray of cookies Taako had already finished decorating. “These go on the dining room table, yes?”

“You got it, handsome.” Taako blithely sidestepped the question, kissing Kravitz on the cheek as he passed. “Turkey’s ready... I already frosted the cake. Four kinds of cookies...”

Taako tapped his spoon against his other hand, thinking. That was when they both heard Barry’s Stone of Farspeech beep. He pulled it out, flipping it up into his hand.

“Bear, I hope you’re ready because the cat is so completely out of the fucking bag.”

“I thought you said-?”

“Your intelligence, my stubbornness. We were doomed from the beginning.”

Barry looked over at Taako, raising his eyebrows. Taako took a deep breath.

“I need five minutes.”

“I can give you five almost exactly.” 

Five minutes later, Taako had gotten the table set, cleaned up the kitchen, and even changed. Everyone was waiting in the living room of Lup and Barry’s house, the Bureau, the IPRE, their families, some of the Angus’ friends from school. Everyone. Then the door opened.

“Is this going to be the sort of thing where people are going to jump out at me, Mom? Because I’d really like some warning on that.”

“You know, you still don’t actually have any evidence that we’re doing any sort of-”

“SURPRISE!”

For just a second, Angus gave his mom an ‘I told you so’ look. Then he laughed, running into the room to be engulfed in love and friendship. Lup stayed back, leaning against the doorframe for just a moment and watching. She caught Barry’s eye across the room and smiled. Yeah, they’d done alright. Even with everything that had happened, they hadn’t fucked up parenting too badly.

“Mom! Dad! Look! Uncle Magnus gave me a puppy!”

Lup’s eyes went wide.

“He did  _ what? _ ”


End file.
